


i'd kill for you

by martiniblue



Category: ITZY (Band)
Genre: Assassins, Contract Killers, F/F, happy endings are overrated, lots of death so if you're sensitive to that - don't read!, some side ryeji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-25 17:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20916185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martiniblue/pseuds/martiniblue
Summary: it's a dangerous business - kill or be killed. ryujin and yeji are assassins, often partnered up to complete top missions ... until one day, yeji disappears without a trace, leaving ryujin behind.





	i'd kill for you

**Author's Note:**

> the descriptions aren't too graphic but still, please read this only if you have a strong, healthy mind.

**FRIDAY, 4TH OCTOBER, 2019**

Yeji looked through the scope from her position on the roof-top of another building, overlooking the glass marquee, where her target was. She watched Ryujin, her partner, pull the hairpin stick out of her hair, letting her loose, pink curls flow gently down her back. In a quick motion, unnoticeable to all eyes except Yeji’s, the contents of the vile of poison hemlock that was disguised as a traditional hairpin stick, was poured into a glass of champagne in her hand. She wore a smile, similar to that of a flight attendant’s but it was enough to allure their target. The man slid a hand down Ryujin’s bare arm and Yeji wondered if she should just snipe him right then and there. But that would put Ryujin in more danger than she was already in. 

Ryujin always did the floorwork while Yeji was positioned in a safer area with her state-of-the-art sniper rifle in case Ryujin needed back-up. It was a dangerous game with high-risks but the higher the risk, the higher the reward. 

Yeji watched as the man accepted the glass from Ryujin with a smug grin. He let his hand rest on the small of Ryujin’s back, his grotty hand dirtying her satin gown. As soon as he took a gulp of it, Ryujin excused herself. Yeji observed closely as Ryujin strode out of the marquee and disappeared into the shadows of a nearby alley. By then, the man was beginning to stagger as his steps grew heavier. He collapsed to the floor, his hand clutching his chest before falling limply by his side. The other elites in the marquee looked on in shock before screaming and scrambling around like ants as security began to scout the area. Ryujin had done her part, now it was Yeji’s turn to make sure she didn’t get caught by security. 

Ryujin emerged from the shadows, her hair now black (her pink wig tossed somewhere at the bottom of her backpack). She wore sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Thick-rimmed glasses rested on her nose for good measure. Most of the glitter and make-up had been removed. She looked like an exhausted college student instead of someone who just assassinated the head of one of the largest IT companies in the world, with a side-business in sex-trafficking. 

People like him didn’t deserve to roam the earth, wasting mother nature’s precious resources like that. That’s what Ryujin had to remind herself. She wasn't doing a bad thing. God probably already had plans for his death, she was just executing that plan a lot faster. 

The security guards rushed past Ryujin, without even sparing her a glance, and Yeji knew she was in the clear. She retracted the sniper back into her cello case and left the scene. 

...

Ryujin entered the convenience store located at the end of Cherry Street. It was somewhat rundown - a perfect way to repel regular passersby. The door chimed as soon as she opened it, snapping Chuu out her daze. The girl looked up from the cash register and clicked a button to let Ryujin into the ‘store room’. 

“Finished already?” Chuu piped up. 

Ryujin nodded slightly before leaving Chuu alone to guard. 

Instead of packages of food products, there was a single elevator inside the ‘store room’. She fiddled with the strings of her hoodie as she waited for the elevator to descend. Their underground headquarters was the complete opposite to the convenience store. Ryujin walked over the luxury vinyl flooring, past her ‘colleagues’ typing rapidly on computers with monitors larger than most televisions, past the arsenal and past other countless rooms she had never entered, until she reached the very end, where her boss’s office was. 

She knocked twice and stood aside, patiently waiting for permission. 

“Come in.” 

Ryujin twisted the handle and let herself in. 

The room was only illuminated by a single lamp throwing pools of yellow light onto the files on her boss’s desk. It was kind of eerie the first time Ryujin set foot into her office but she had grown used to it over the years. 

“Ah Ryujin,” Yves played with a perfectly ripe red apple in her hand, “You did well.” 

“Thank you,” she bowed. 

“Did you bring back that Givenchy dress I lent you?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Ryujin let the straps of her backpack drop from her shoulders and pulled out the satin dress she wore to the event. 

“Did he get his grubby hands on it?” Yves quirked a brow. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Ugh, we can’t have a dead guy’s prints on this,” Yves groaned. “Tell Gowon to burn this.” 

She tossed the dress back to Ryujin. 

“What about those red bottom Louboutins?” 

“He didn’t touch these ma’am,” Ryujin answered as she pulled the heels out of her backpack. 

“Okay, good,” Yves clapped her hands, “But get Kim Lip to clean those. Who knows what you’ve stepped in.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Now, your envelope is extra thick today with three c’s,” Yves pushed a bulky envelope filled with cash towards Ryujin. “I guess his wife really really really wanted him dead.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Keep up the good work,” Yves dismissed her. 

“Is Yeji back yet?” Ryujin blurted out.

“Not yet, Olivia Hye is tracking her down right now.” 

Ryujin knew Olivia Hye was the best in that field but there was an unsettling feeling in her stomach. Did something bad already happen to Yeji? Would they be able to find her before something bad did happen? Yeji was never late to collect payment. 

She sent a desperate text to Yeji in a code they came up with years ago. 

╒══════════════════╕

**SR → HY**

**.ipu rts rtrje**

_ (code for: Where are you?) _

╘══════════════════╛

A small red exclamation mark popped up next to her message immediately after she sent the text. Her finger hovered over the call button. 

_Please_, she begged. 

She hesitantly pressed it. But instead of a ring, there was a beeping sound. 

**This number is no longer available**. 

* * *

**SATURDAY, 5TH OCTOBER, 2019**

“I made you some chicken soup,” Ryujin said as she placed the warm bowl on top of the portable table. 

Yuna looked back at her with sunken eyes and a small smile. She sighed wearily as she tried to sit up in her bed. Even something as simple as blinking was exhausting because her eyelids felt so heavy. 

Ryujin blew on the soup in the spoon and gently feed it to Yuna. 

“Is it okay?” she asked. 

Yuna nodded slowly and reached out for Ryujin’s spare hand. 

“I’m glad!” Ryujin’s lips stretched into a wide grin. 

She went to feed Yuna another spoonful but the younger girl stopped her. 

“Oh, is it not good?” 

“It’s good,” Yuna reassured. 

She paused to catch her breath. She wished Ryujin could read her mind because talking used up too much of her energy. But she had to speak her mind, no matter how tough it was, because Ryujin needed to hear it. 

“I want you to be honest with me,” Yuna started. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She spoke slowly but Ryujin was more than happy to listen to Yuna for the rest of her life. “Dr. Jihyo told me you paid for all my hospital bills. How are you getting enough money for that? Did you drop out of college?” 

“I did,” Ryujin answered truthfully. 

There weren’t a lot of things Ryujin could tell the truth about so whenever she could, she did because she hated lying to Yuna. 

“Why?” 

“What do you mean why? Your health is the most important thing to me.”

Yuna’s gaze dropped. She never meant to drag Ryujin through hell with her. Every time Yuna saw her, it was like her once-bright world had gone darker and darker, as if Yuna was the one pulling a curtain across her sky. She didn’t want Ryujin to put her whole life on hold just for her. Just because Yuna was dying, didn’t mean Ryujin had to die with her. 

“When?” 

“Just recently.” A lie. Ryujin had never even been to college but Yuna couldn’t know that - not when Ryujin had told her made-up college stories just so she wouldn’t revoke her visitation rights. 

“I’m sorry,” Ryujin quickly added. 

“Don’t be sorry Ryujin.” 

Yuna never had anyone besides Ryujin. Her life seemed to be on pause until Ryujin came into it and pushed the fast-forward button - it was like time flew by every moment they shared. But her life was on pause again - this time for an entirely different reason. And at any moment, the stop button could be pushed. Yuna wasn’t sure if she wanted to prevent the stop button from being pressed anymore, especially if all she was doing was making Ryujin suffer. 

“How are you getting enough money?” Yuna asked again. 

“I work.” Not a lie. 

But Yuna thought it was. How did Ryujin suddenly have twenty thousand dollars after dropping out of college just recently?

“Please don’t lie to me,” Yuna’s voice wavered, “Are you gambling?” 

“No! Of course not, people go into debt from that.” 

Yuna nodded slowly. “Are you selling drugs?” 

“No, I work at a convenience store.” 

It was as close to the truth as she could get. 

“A convenience store doesn’t pay that much Ryujin.” 

“Yeah but when I told my boss about my situation, she agreed to pay a lump sum if I promised to stay with her for a year,” Ryujin explained, “And I also have to tutor her daughter.” 

Teaching Gowon how to throw daggers disguised as hairpins was basically the same thing, right? 

Yuna didn’t know what to believe. Who would pay that kind of money upfront? It didn’t make sense to her but she was too tired to argue with Ryujin. 

“Just… promise me you’re not doing anything dangerous,” Yuna’s voice was small. “Please.”

“I promise, don’t worry.” Ryujin didn’t consider anything to be dangerous if it was for Yuna. 

She stood up and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Yuna’s forehead. “You know I love you, right?”

Yuna smiled. 

_ But I wish you didn’t. _

“I love you too.” 

* * *

**FRIDAY, 1ST NOVEMBER, 2019**

“What the fuck?!” Ryujin screamed. “This isn’t one of your video games, Olivia Hye! You can’t just fucking spray bullets and hope that one of them hits!” 

It’s been almost a month since Yeji disappeared and Ryujin wasn’t sure how she had survived so long in the business without her partner. There wasn’t any other shooter in their agency who was nearly as good as Yeji, not even Ryujin herself. When Olivia Hye finally managed to track her weapon and her phone to their last locations, they were both already corroding in hydrochloric acid and there was no sign of Yeji, not even footprints. Whoever took her was really careful. Ryujin worried about her safety every day. She tried to retrace her steps from the day of their last mission together, but it was no use. Yeji was the one who could see her, not the other way around. She really missed her. 

Thankfully, Olivia Hye was just firing at an indoor shooting range, not on a mission. 

“Jesus Christ! You’re louder than the gun!” Olivia Hye yelled back over the sound of gunshots. 

“Stop wasting bullets!”

“It kind of looks like a sad face,” Olivia Hye ignored her and commented on the holes she left in the target stand, which was in the shape of the silhouette of a person. 

“You didn’t even hit the heart,” Ryujin rolled her eyes, ripping the pistol out of the girl’s hands. 

“Ryujin.” 

She turned around when she heard her name. 

“Yes, ma’am?” 

Another female assassin stood beside Yves. Ryujin immediately recognised her. She was Olivia Hye’s twin sister but unlike Olivia Hye, this one actually had good aim - she was just quite inexperienced so Ryujin wasn’t sure how she would do under pressure on a real mission. 

“I’ve found you a partner for your next mission,” Yves informed her, “I trust that you’ll work well together?” 

Ryujin’s eyes flicked over to meet Hyunjin’s momentarily before she responded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

* * *

**FRIDAY, 8TH NOVEMBER, 2019**

“I have eyes on the sleazebag,” Ryujin heard Hyunjin’s voice in the earpiece she was wearing, disguised as a daith piercing. 

Ryujin and Yeji never used wireless earpieces to communicate while they were on missions because it was too suspicious. How was Ryujin supposed to respond without seeming like she was talking to herself? 

“He’s at your five o’clock,” Hyunjin spoke up again between chews. Was she eating bread on the job?

“Are you eating?” Ryujin muttered under her breath, trying to move her mouth as little as possible. 

“Don’t worry, I saved some for you,” came Hyunjin’s response. 

Ryujin swiped a shot glass of bourbon off the counter of the bar and downed it. If she was going to die because of Hyunjin, she might as well enjoy her last moments. 

“Hey! That was mine!” someone called out after her but Ryujin was already blending in with the crowd inside the club. 

The bass-boosted music rang in her ears as she got closer to the speakers and closer to her target. As she pushed through the herd of dancing bodies, she counted the number of security guards. There were exactly twenty-five of them, all armed. There was no way Ryujin could take all of them even with Hyunjin watching her back from the roof-top of the building on the other side of the road. Besides, there were too many innocent people at the club that could get hurt if they got in the way. Ryujin didn’t want her number of victims to reach three digits. 

There was no way she could pull out a dagger in that setting, even if she somehow got her target, Riseung, alone with her. Blood was just too messy. But it was also unlikely that Riseung would accept a drink from her when he had a habit of drugging girls and then arranging sex services for potential investors in his business. He would probably make her drink it before he did. So, the poison hemlock she always carried with her was out of the question. 

Ryujin was lost in thought, busy brainstorming ways she could kill him, when she suddenly collided with what felt like a pregnant lady's bump. But what was a pregnant lady doing at a club? She looked up, startled when she recognised the man standing before her. 

Ryujin was thankful that his mountain of a beer belly kept his… unsightly… face at a safe distance away from hers. 

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing alone at my club?” Riseung had a playful look in his eye.

She caught a whiff of his breath and thought she was going to die right there. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a handkerchief in the pocket of his blazer. Maybe she could use that to cover his mouth and force him to smell his own breath. Maybe he’d die that way. 

“I just want to have some fun,” Ryujin faked her voice so it was higher-pitched and twirled the end of her blonde wig. 

“I can show you a good time,” he smirked. “How about we go somewhere a little more quiet?” 

“Ryujin! I won’t be able to see you if you go into a room,” she heard Hyunjin’s voice in her ear. 

She couldn’t let this opportunity slip out of her hands so she ignored Hyunjin and let him lead the way towards the back of the club. They walked down the corridor where lots of room were lined up. She felt sick knowing that was probably where all his sex services were arranged. Never again though. She was going to put an end to it. She just had to wait for the security guard to leave Riseung’s side. 

“After you,” Riseung opened the door for her as the security guard stepped aside, waiting outside of the room. 

Ryujin hesitantly stepped into the dimly lit room. There was a U-shaped lounge lined up against a wall and a glass table in front of it (probably for drinks to be placed on but Ryujin thought of a better use for it - it would look really good on Riseung’s head). 

Riseung closed the door behind him, trapping her in the room with just him. He wasted no time unbuckling his belt and Ryujin wasted no time unbuckling her own belt too (but obviously for a completely different reason), though he must’ve thought they were on the same page. She pulled out her belt so it was completely detached from her shorts and aggressively pushed him onto the lounge. The smirk on his face was growing and Ryujin couldn’t wait to wipe it off his face. She pressed her knee onto his chest and quickly wrapped her belt around his neck. 

“What are you-” he croaked, clawing at her face with his hands. 

Ryujin refused to give in, no matter how much it hurt. She pulled the belt tighter, her strength fuelled by her rage over all the disgusting things he had done to other girls like her. 

“Fucking die!” she whisper-yelled through gritted teeth. 

His face was turning red and his veins were bulging from his neck. Soon, he stopped struggling. Ryujin kept the belt tight around his neck as she checked his pulse to make sure he was really dead and not faking it. He was gone. 

She quickly put the belt back around her shorts. She would have to get Gowon to burn it later, there was no way she could leave it at the crime scene with her fingerprints all over it. Her hand instinctively reached up to her own face, where there was a stinging pain she hadn’t noticed before. There was blood on her fingertips. _ Shit. _

She checked his fingernails. Sure enough, there was her blood under them. Wiping away her blood wouldn’t be enough. Her skin cells were also under her nails, something she couldn’t get rid of easily. A gruesome thought flashed in her mind. She could cut off his fingertips with her dagger… and discard them somewhere, probably back at her agency. 

She had another problem - the security guard waiting outside. She didn’t know when he would come in or if he ever would. It was all a gamble and Ryujin was betting on her life. 

She pulled the handkerchief out of Riseung’s pocket and laid the hand he used to scratch her face on it. It was just the index, middle and ring finger that she had to cut off. She shuddered at the thought of carrying his fingertips in her pocket. 

She drew in a shaky breath. “For Yuna,” she thought to herself. 

She scrunched her nose in disgust as she dropped the dagger swiftly, neatly slicing his three fingers just above his knuckles. 

She kicked his arm away, letting his blood stain the tiles and wrapped up his fingertips in the handkerchief. She shoved it in the pocket of her shorts. It was safe to say, she would never wear those shorts ever again. Gowon would probably have to burn her whole outfit too. 

Ryujin looked around the room, double-checking if she missed out on anything else. Everything was just so messy and hard to clean up unless poison was involved. She paused before she turned the door knob. What would she do about the security guard? And how would she escape afterwards? 

Maybe she needed to start carrying hydrochloric acid with her or at least a lighter - it would be much easier to get rid of evidence. 

She pushed the door open and forcefully pulled the security guard into the room (the weight training that Yves forced her to take was really paying off), promptly shutting the door behind her. Before he even had time to react to Riseung’s state, she kneed him in the groin, forcing him to sink to his knees. Once he wasn’t towering above her anymore, she swung her arm, connecting her fist to the side of his neck. He easily fell to the floor with a thump. 

“Hyunjin, can you see how many guards are in the corridor near the rooms?” she spoke aloud. 

“I see one figure through the thermal hybrid scope but I can’t tell if that’s a guard or not,” Hyunjin immediately responded, “He doesn’t seem to be armed though. Wait, he’s kinda walking funny, he might just be a drunk guy.” 

“Okay.” 

Ryujin slipped out of the room and peered down the corridor. She noticed a man leaning against the wall, struggling to stand up straight. 

“Heyyyy,” he slurred as she walked briskly past him, “You bleedinggg.” 

He reached out but Ryujin swatted his hand away, continuing down the corridor. The music was getting louder again. 

“Meanieeeeee,” he called after her. 

“Hyunjin, you need to do that whistle thing now!” Ryujin kept her head down as she squeezed through the crowd. 

Seconds later, the sound of sirens wailing could be heard outside the club. It caused a wave of frenzy to crash over everyone in the club, allowing Ryujin to run out onto the streets along with everyone else. She hastily mounted her motorbike and drove off. Who knew Hyunjin’s talent in vocal mimicry would come in handy like that. 

“Get away from there, Hyunjin,” she yelled against the wind flapping in her face. 

“Right behind you!” Hyunjin called back. 

In her rear-view mirror, Ryujin could see another motorbike not too far behind her. They were going to be fine. 

* * *

**SATURDAY, 9TH NOVEMBER, 2019**

Ryujin inhaled deeply before she took a step inside Yuna’s hospital room. She had contemplated whether she should visit when her wounds were still healing (Yuna would definitely have a lot of questions) but she didn’t want to avoid her. Every second she could spend with Yuna was important to her, no matter how they spent it. 

“What happened to your face?” Yuna looked up at her with gloomy eyes. 

Ryujin had thought a lot about her reason but just because she thought a lot about it, didn’t mean it was any good. 

“I couldn’t really reach the top shelf, I’m not as tall as you,” Ryujin joked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit, “And so I dropped some cans of pineapple on my face.” 

Yuna kept her eyes on Ryujin, waiting for even a small sign that Ryujin was lying - shifty eyes, hands fidgeting, anything. But Ryujin was trained to control herself and she was aware of all the subtle physical and behavioural signs that would give away her dishonesty. 

“Does it still hurt?” 

“No,” Ryujin smiled. “Wait - yes! It hurts so much.” She pouted, pretending to sulk. 

“Oh,” Yuna frowned. 

“Will you kiss it better?” 

The saddened expression on Yuna’s face shifted into an irritated look. 

“Liar,” she mumbled, averting her gaze as Ryujin leaned in closer. 

“Your cheeks aren’t hurt,” Yuna grumbled as she tilted her face away from Ryujin’s cheek, “It’s the side of your forehead.” 

Ryujin tapped her cheek insistently as the corners of her mouth twitched upward. 

“Fine.” Yuna used all her strength to lean forward and peck Ryujin’s cheek, eliciting a giggle from the older girl. 

* * *

_ **5 months later** _

**FRIDAY, 17TH APRIL, 2020**

Ryujin’s eyes scanned the file of her next target, Choi Jisu. 

“What did she do wrong?” she asked. 

“Nothing, some filthy rich guy just wants her dead ‘cause she knows too much about something,” Yves answered as she twirled a curved blade with her fingers. 

Ryujin placed the file back on the desk. 

“You know I don’t kill people unless they deserve it. There’s no reason for her to die.” 

Yves tapped her chin gently with the flat side of the blade, a growing smirk playing on her lips. “I’ll give you a reason then. That girl you love so much is sleeping in her bed in the hospital. God _ clearly _ already has plans for her. Why don’t _ I _execute them a little faster, hm?” 

Ryujin felt her blood boiling. She snatched the file back. “Don’t lay a finger on her.” 

“Oohoo, hit your soft spot, didn’t I?” Yves cackled. “Get the job done and I’ll make sure you get paid enough to cover her future medical bills as well. You could even retire after this one. It’s a fair deal, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Ryujin replied through gritted teeth. 

...

“I have to take a business trip to Busan,” Ryujin told her gently. 

Yuna continued to stare off into the distance blankly. 

“I’ll be back in less than two days.” She held onto Yuna’s hand, intertwining their fingers. 

“Why would the boss of a convenience store make you go to Busan?” 

Yuna’s voice was getting more and more fragile every day, just like her heart. 

“Her family is going there and she still wants me to tutor her kid. I can’t say no, she already paid me, remember?” She really couldn’t say no but everything else she said was a lie. 

But Ryujin told herself that would be the last lie she told Yuna. She could retire soon and then she would never have to leave Yuna’s side ever again. It was worth it. 

Yuna looked directly into Ryujin’s eyes. “Are you seeing someone else?” 

“What?” Ryujin was taken aback, “Of course not! Why would you think that?” 

“It’s okay if you are.” 

“But I’m not!” 

“I won’t be sad,” Yuna told her, “You deserve to see the world with someone who can hold you close to them, not be cooped up in a room with four white walls with someone who can barely lift a finger.”

“Don’t say that,” Ryujin whispered. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you.” 

Yuna used the last bit of her strength to reach up and stroke Ryujin’s cheek. 

“Be safe.”

_I love you but I want you to let go of me. _

* * *

**SATURDAY, 18TH APRIL, 2020**

Ryujin’s blonde hair (well, blonde wig) was tied up in a ponytail and tucked neatly under a navy baseball cap. She jogged around the park in her fitness attire, waiting for her target. According to Mr. Filthy-Rich-Guy, Choi Jisu always had lunch at that park. She gripped her vinyl dipped dumbbell in one hand, while the other held onto her water bottle. On the side of the dumbbell, there was a tiny hole, where a small needle dipped in poison hemlock would shoot out if she pushed down the mouthpiece of her water bottle. 

After a few more laps, Ryujin slowed down her pace and began to do some stretches under a tree. Sitting on a bench at her two o’clock was a woman dressed in a neat blouse and dress pants. Choi Jisu. She had a paper bag rested on her lap as she constantly checked her phone. Her bottom lip jutted out as she sighed, pocketing her phone. 

“Jisu!” 

The woman’s face split into a grin as she waved over whoever was calling her. 

“Sorry I’m late!” The person jogged over to Jisu. 

“That’s okay!” Jisu smiled before she leaned in to connect their lips. 

The dumbbell dropped to the ground with a soft thud. The person sitting next to Jisu was someone Ryujin had once trusted with her life. Ryujin had fought sleep, choosing to spend countless nights searching for Yeji or trying to figure out what happened to her because the guilt was eating away at her insides. She blamed herself for not looking out for Yeji the way Yeji had always watched her back. Eventually, when her efforts were proven to be futile, she cried herself to sleep because she thought Yeji, someone she shared her biggest secret with, had fucking died. But there she was, in the flesh, completely unharmed. She never even thought to send Ryujin a code or _ anything _to let her know she was okay. What was years of friendship? Nothing apparently. Betrayal really did come from those you trust the most. 

Ryujin looked down at their interlocked fingers. Yeji must’ve left for her. 

She watched Yeji’s eyes crinkle at their corners as she laughed gleefully. 

As much as she hated Yeji for making her worry, how could she take away her source of happiness? 

* * *

**SUNDAY, 19TH APRIL, 2020**

“You hesitated,” Yves accused with an icy undertone in her voice, “Why?” 

Ryujin swallowed thickly. She couldn’t tell her about Yeji - they would kill her, most likely. She wasn’t sure but it was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. 

“Choi Jisu doesn’t deserve to die,” Ryujin answered, almost like she was pleading. “She’s a doctor.”

“Everyone dies eventually,” Yves spoke coldly into the phone, “Because that’s what we all deserve.” 

Ryujin fell silent. She heard some shuffling and keys jingling on the other end of the call. 

“Should I pay poor Yuna a little visit?” The words rolled off her tongue like acid. 

“No!” 

“Then don’t mess up again. Mr. Lee threatened to reduce his payment if there was any more delay. You have one more chance tonight. She’ll be at the Dalla Platinum restaurant.” 

Yves didn’t wait for a response. She hung up, letting the end call beeping tone ring in Ryujin’s ear. 

...

Ryujin sat at a table on the opposite side of the restaurant so she could observe the couple from a safe distance. Yeji’s back was turned towards her, which was a good thing because she might’ve been able to recognise Ryujin even though she was wearing a red wig with bangs. Ryujin kept most of her face hidden with the menu. She didn’t plan on staying long enough to actually eat something. 

Jisu and Yeji were already filling their stomachs with wagyu beef. Ryujin quickly got up from her seat, making long, purposeful strides towards the bar. She loosened the head of her ring. It was poison hemlock in the shape of a tiny clear ball that would dissolve rapidly in any liquid (another one of Chaeryeong’s genius creations). She eyed the waiter who carried a glass of red wine and a glass of champagne on his tray. She calculated her steps before purposely bumping into him, making sure she didn’t use enough force to make him spill the drinks. In a swift motion, the tiny clear ball was dropped into the glass filled with red wine. Yeji never liked red wine, hopefully her tastes hadn’t changed. 

"Oops, sorry," she halfheartedly apologised. 

"You're fine, ma'am." 

She made her way back to her seat. She was right. She watched as the couple clinked their glasses, the red wine in Jisu’s hand and the champagne in Yeji’s. Ryujin’s hands gripped her seat. She fought the urge to run up to their table and swat the glass out of Jisu’s hand. But she had to get the job done. For Yuna. Jisu smiled as the red wine met her lips, her eyes never leaving Yeji’s. She lifted the bottom of the glass, finishing all the wine in five gulps. She licked the remainder of it from her lips. 

It was done. There was nothing she could do anymore. Ryujin stood up, ready to leave. But before she could, she looked at the couple once more. She really shouldn’t have. 

It was like the rest of the world had suddenly gone quiet and everything was moving in slow motion. Yeji got up from her seat and dropped to one knee. The smile spread across Jisu’s face faded as her eyes became glassy, brimming with tears. Her mouth hung open before she cupped over it with her hand. 

Ryujin couldn’t avert her eyes. She remained frozen in her spot, like she was being forced to watch whatever was going to happen next. 

Ryujin’s heart dropped to her stomach faster than an anchor when she saw it. Yeji opened the red velvet box clasped tightly in her hands, revealing a sparkling gold ring. She didn’t have a clear view of Yeji’s face but she could imagine it. What was years of friendship? Everything apparently. She didn’t have to see it to know that Yeji was nervously nibbling the insides of her cheek as the corners of her mouth tugged upward. No doubt her eyes were looking right into Lia’s, letting Lia see into her soul so she would feel her sincerity and love.

Jisu started nodding quickly as tears streamed down her face. Her hand was still covering her smile but Ryujin could see it in her eyes. Yeji stood up and embraced Jisu in a tight hug. Everyone in the restaurant could feel the warm joy that radiated from the couple. 

Ryujin felt the lump in her throat growing. She prayed with her whole heart that Chaeryeong’s creation would fail. She begged and begged to whoever was listening to her silent prayers. She was prepared to face any sort of punishment as long as Jisu didn’t get hurt. She couldn’t take her life. She couldn’t kill the person Yeji loved most in this world. 

Yeji pulled away from Jisu to take the ring out of the box. She reached out for Jisu’s hand and gently slipped it onto her ring finger with trembling hands. But before she could get it past Jisu’s knuckle, Jisu sank to her knees. Her hands flew to her heart, clutching it, holding it in place, as she spluttered, gasping for breath. Yeji dropped to her knees, hands holding tightly onto Jisu. Ryujin couldn’t watch anymore. She disappeared into the night as Yeji’s desperate screams filled the air. 

The sound of the ring crashing against the tiled floor would haunt Ryujin for the rest of her life.

**Author's Note:**

> if there are any typos or other mistakes i didn't pick up on, i'm sorry!!


End file.
